South Africa apparently "lied" to the United Nations by failing to disclose in the UN register of arms sales that it had sold 28 G5 artillery pieces to Malaysia, according to campaigners for transparency in international weapon sales.

According to government statistics, South Africa exported category A weapons worth R10.86 million to Malaysia in 2000 and R137.57m in 2001.

Category A weapons are sensitive major significant equipment. According to the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), this category comprises conventional implements of war such as explosives, large calibre arms and automatic weapons, guns and missiles and weapons "that could cause severe casualties and / or major damage and destruction".

But the South African public is not told in the NCACC report that the government exported 28 G5 artillery pieces to Malaysia and that government apparently failed to report this to United Nations register of conventional arms transfers. Malaysia reported the transaction

South Africa disclosed its weapons sales to Malaysia in the UN register for 2000, but not last year, when the 25 G5s were sold.

Commenting on the matter, Laurie Nathan, director of the Centre for Conflict Resolution at the University of Cape Town, said: "To be disingenuous in reporting to the UN register on arms transfers is a very, very serious matter and undermines the credibility of our country, particularly in international forums concerned with promoting peace and human rights."

Nathan said it was "entirely inappropriate that SA did not make full disclosure in its annual report" to the UN arms register. Other commentators go further and say the government effectively "lied".

The purpose of the UN register is to enhance military confidence and stability through transparency on arms sales.

Nathan, who is advising parliament's defence committee on the National Conventional Arms Control Bill, said countries were not obliged to submit reports to the UN register.

"They do so voluntarily, but once they do so there is the expectation that they make full disclosures. If they withhold information, they undermine the very purpose of the register."

Nathan and the chairwoman of parliament's defence committee, Thandi Modise, have been involved in a spat with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs officials who told parliament's defence committee that it is legitimate to withhold information - they are wrong."

NCACC official Frederick Marais said he could not explain the apparent oversight in failing to report the G8 sale to the UN. He would investigate.

With acknowledgements to Andre Koopman and Cape Times.